We note the resolution from our London Taxi branch and fully support its sentiments. Current plans for the exclusive VIP Olympic Lane will severely restrict the ability of Taxi drivers to earn a living, and will deny passengers the opportunity to use Taxis.

We therefore instruct the General Secretary to request our Parliamentary group to submit an Early Day Motion calling for the legal right for London Taxis to be allowed to drive in the VIP Olympic Lane for the duration of the Olympics and/or London Taxis to be classified as official Olympic vehicles.

AFTER MONTHS OF campaigning by RMT taxi branch, and with the support of the RMT parliamentary convenor John McDonnell, who through a series of actions blocked the progress of the London Local Authorities Bill, the sponsors have now been forced to withdraw the offending clause which would have enshrined the right to register pedicabs and provide them with rank spaces.

If the Bill with the offending Clause had been enacted it would have meant the introduction of a fully-fledged licensing and right to ply for hire regime for pedicabs, undermining the tightly-regulated licensed taxi trade.

We note the correspondence on file. We are very disappointed by the failure of TfL management to respond to our repeated requests for discussion on this issue. We instruct the General Secretary to write again to TfL in the precise terms set out in the request from our Regional Organiser.

We note the resolution from our London Taxi branch, and the concern expressed by our members about the complaints procedure of the London Taxis and Private Hire Directorate of TfL. We instruct the General Secretary to obtain a report from the branch giving fuller details of its concerns, and once this report is received, to obtain the legal advice requested, within a reasonable timescale.

We note the legal opinion on this matter, which is disappointing. We note that our London Taxi branch is due to discuss this matter at its meeting this evening, and instruct the General Secretary to place this matter back in front of us once the branch has communicated its views.

Further to my circular dated 14th December (IR/608/11) I write to update branches on the TfL scheme to introduce Identifier tags from March 2012 for all Taxi driver members (Taxis and Private hire).This would distinguish between those drivers licensed for hire in all of Metropolitan London (green badge) and those who were licensed for particular sectors outside the centre (yellow badge). Yellow badge drivers might be typically licensed for the London Boroughs of Redbridge, Greenwich, Merton, Harrow, Hillingdon and so on.

That we note the legal advice received from Thompsons and are disappointed to learn that the chances of legal success in cases of defamation are very slim indeed. We therefore note that letters have been sent to the LTDA and the publishers of ‘Taxi’ and instruct the General Secretary to place any responses back in front of the General Grades Committee.

We note the correspondence from the London Taxi Branch regarding the 15 year vehicle age limit to be imposed on the London Taxi trade as part of proposals to reduce vehicle. We note that there is a conversion kit available for buses that allow them to become compliant with EURO 4 emissions regulations and have been made aware that such a conversion kit could be made available for the older black cabs.

That we note the resolution from our London Taxi Branch and the sentiments expressed within.

Therefore we instruct the General Secretary to arrange a meeting at the earliest opportunity at Unity House to discuss this matter further. The Lead Officer, Regional Organiser, members of the GGC and Brothers Stan Marut and Mick Tinnion to be in attendance.